Apartment on the 12th Floor
by Nashida
Summary: A man trying to forget his past. A girl trying to run away from hers. True match? Could be. YYxOC. Ch. 10 up, after a long story coma.
1. Prologue

Hey y'all! Sorry for the lack of fan fiction. Here's a new story that I hope you will like! 

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh. However, this story is mine, and I will not tolerate people stealing this idea and calling it theirs. Jenna is also mine. Anybody who steals her and calls her theirs will also suffer my wrath. Beware, Baku-kun let me borrow his blow torch for this very cause...

The Apartment on the 12th Floor

He glanced down at the parking lot and watched a red convertible slowly roll in. Was it even a convertible? He couldn't tell. Being so far up from the ground, he could hardly make out any style of car without some sort of aid. And was it even red? It could be burgundy, or maroon, or any other color besides red. His gaze shifted to the dark red house just on the corner of the parking lot( he was sure this was red this time), his eyes narrowing. Each time he glanced over at that house, a horrible memory would play in his head.The memory of why he could no longer go there, and why he was shunned away by everyone who lived there:

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Awhile back, he used to live in that dark red house with several of his friends. Among them were his closest friends Jounouchi and Honda, and a little look-alike named Yugi. Yugi was affectionately called "Mini Me" because of the fact that they looked almost the same. And then there was Anzu. Anzu was one of those rare finds that if you let it slip away, you would never find it again. He truly loved her, but he could never find the courage within him to tell her so. And when he did manage to work up enough willpower to tell her those three little words that mean so much, the thought of actually saying them aloud overwhelmed him. So he kept quiet, and his affections grew in silence.

Then came the day when he just couldn't keep quiet. A news report stating that several gunshots were heard in the neighborhood last night made everyone feel uneasy. Even the tough talking Honda and Jou shook when the word "gun" was heard, no matter where they were. Anzu claimed that the security system was working, and working fine, and that they would be safe and that there was nothing to worry about. But he felt very unsure about that. Whenever she said "there was nothing to worry about," she was usually wrong.

That same night, he heard the sound of glass breaking. He shrugged it off, thinking it was a half awake Ryou up getting a glass of milk to help him fall back asleep again. Ryou had broken many glasses before, so this was nothing new. He snuggled further under his covers when he heard the sound of footsteps, seeming to tell him that his assumption was right. But his eyes opened wide. Something was decidedly wrong with these footsteps: they sounded large and heavy, and Ryou wasn't large and heavy. And they sounded like there were shoes on them. Big, heavy shoes. Ryou wouldn't be walking around with big heavy shoes in the middle of the night. He knew better than that. He sat straight up in bed, listening carefully. He knew something wasn't right at all. He pulled a blanket around his shoulders: a strange chill ran from the back of his neck down. He heard the footsteps coming closer to his door, which he realised was unlocked. He thought about getting up and locking it, just to be safe. He quickly abandoned the idea when the footsteps stopped outside of his door. He didn't think he would have enough time to even try that idea.It grew very quiet, and he was afraid of what would happen next. He heard a 'click click' noise just beyond the door, and he held his breath, waiting for another sound.  
He saw the door opening slowly, creaking at the same time. He felt his heart racing. What was going to happen? The next thing he knew, he saw a hooded figure standing in front of him holding a pistol, aimed directly at him. He backed into a corner, worried about himself as well as the others. He shut his eyes, waiting for the sound of the gunshot. Instead he heard the loud noise of a grunt, and when he opened his eyes, he saw the hooded figure getting clubbed by Jounouchi and his baseball bat. This gave him enough time to run out of the room and check on the others. He discovered that they were fine, and he went and hid them somewhere so the killer couldn't find them. He then turned around and went back to help Jou fight off the strange man.

While the others hid in the closet, Anzu had kept her ear on the door, listening to what was happening outside it. She heard a lot of banging, and thudding, and yelling, most of said yelling coming from him. Finally she heard one final gasp, then it was quiet. She quickly opened the closet door, and everyone tumbled out on top of her. She struggled to get out from under them, then ran to the living room. What she saw next scared her. There was Jounouchi, off in the corner, and the killer on the floor, his skull apparently cracked open by something. But what, and who did it? She ended up answering her own question:it was her own "hero". In the faint moonlight by the window,she saw him holding a folding table in his enraged hands. He looked like a savage, breathing heavily,ready to strike him again. "What did you do to him?" "I had to, Anzu. He would have killed me." "But you kiled him!" "I had no choice! It was either him or us, and I wasn't going to let it be us!" "But still!" There was fire in Anzu's eyes, something he had never seen before. He knew she was furious with him. "What, you wanted me to let him at you guys?" "Well, no, but...that doesn't give you the right to kill someone!"

At this point in time Ryou had walked in with a glass of milk, still half asleep. "What's going on.....?," he sleepily droned. "Our 'protector' Yami here has just killed somebody!" Ryou grinned. Then he giggled. Then he broke out in a fit of laughter, apparently amused by all this. Everyone exchanged glances, as if wondering whether or not Ryou added anything to that milk. "That's funny! We all know Yami would never do anything like that! It's not like him!" "Do you need proof or something? There's your proof!," Anzu pointed to the body on the floor. Ryou just stared. "No way. Yami didn't do that...." Yami sighed. "I did," he said half-heartedly. Ryou still didn't believe him. "Why?" " Because," Yami started. "He was going to hurt someone, and I didn't want it to be one of us." Ryou turned to Anzu. "You need to take it easy on him. It was self defense. And he saved you. The least you could do is thank him"  
"He does have a point," Yugi said. "He did it to protect you. He could have done nothing and let you get hurt instead, you know." "But he still killed someone! I'm not taking that sitting down! I won't let that slide!" "Look," Honda said, clearly losing his patience with her. "It's not completely his fault. You get cornered by a guy with a gun. What are you going to do? Knock him out, of course. It's your best defense." Anzu stood up straight, her chin in the air. Yami hated whem she did this. He always took it as a sign that something bad was going to happen to him. "I'll take this into my own hands. I'm not letting a killer live amongst us. It's too dangerous for everyone." She pointed her finger at Yami. "You," she addressed him. "I want you out of this house by tomorrow morning. If you haven't left by then, you'll see some serious police activity. Everyone else, stay away from him. Don't let him into your rooms, no matter what he says." She turned away from him and headed back to bed. Everyone else except Jou and Honda did the same thing, after exchanging small "farewell" glances to him. "Don't worry about it, man," Jou said, trying to help his friend feel a little better. If it had worked, Yami didn't show any sign of it. He started up the stairs. "Where ya going?" "To my room to pack. Best do what she says." He sighed a deep hearted sigh, then shut the door.

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The next day, even though he had left like Anzu had said, he still faced an even bigger problem. Anzu had indeed taken matters into her own hands and put a restraining order on him. He wasn't allowed to go there ever again. He couldn't talk with her ever again either. He was forced then to move into an apartment building that was pretty close to the red house, but it was acceptable, for some reason. (A/N: That's pretty sad. I can't think of a reason...) He chose to live in an apartment on the 12th floor, seeing that as far up as the building went. It wasn't a bad apartment, but he still felt a little uneasy about sleeping in a room that was as big as one of the bathrooms in the red house. Jou and Honda refused to stay with Anzu, feeling that her decision was unnecessary,also moved into the same building with their friend. "No need for you to be lonely," they told him when he found them in his apartment the day he moved in. Honda lived down the hall from him on the same floor, but on the other side of the building. Jou was on the seventh floor, across the hall from a sweet old lady nicknamed Dot.

He didn't mind his apartment all that much; after all he'd lived there for almost two years now. You get used to things after a while. But living with that house next door to him bothered him. He started making a daquiri with the kit he went out and purchased the other day. He used water instead of vodka most of the time. Vodka was used on holidays or special occasions, or when Jou and Honda dropped by for a visit.

He sat and looked at the growing sunset on the other buildings in the city. He sighed deeply, then drank a large swig of his daquiri. he thought of his dream. A dream he always held on to, but was sure he would never accomplish. His dream: to meet a girl who wouldn't treat him like Anzu did, marry her, and move out of that apartment into a real house, and be far away from those memories forever.

But that would never happen. Not in his wildest dreams.....

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Well, whaddaya think? Like? Review! Poor little Yami, though. I'm gonna keep updating, no matter how many reviews I get. I like this story too much.


	2. A little bit of hope

Hello again, dear readers! Thank you to the one, lonely reader who reviewed this story. And to answer your question, yes. They do live under one roof. Think The Surreal Life. Just not as crazy. Well, maybe a little crazy.

Also, a bit of an author's note: the people (except for Yami and Jenna), are all real people. Even Dottie, who happens to be my grandmother, is real. And the buildings, places they go, and all that, is also real. This story doesn't take place in Domino. Let's get this started.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh.

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He yawned and stretched, then glanced at his clock at the side of his bed. 9:00 AM. He let out a small groan. If there was one thing he hated about waking up in the morning, it was waking up. Oh well. A couple cups of coffee and he'll be fine. He started to get out of bed, and felt like he was going to flop back into it. Alright, he told himself. I'm going to need more than a few cups of coffee.

When he finally managed to leave his room, he groaned again when he made it into the kitchen. "Yami, you dunce," he growled at himself. "You left the daquiri kit out all over the counter again." Picking it up, he chuckled and said, "Would you live like this if a girl lived here?" Nothing answered him. "Didn't think so." He put it away and took out the coffee pot, and started to brew some coffee while he dressed himself. he peeked out the window. The sun was already out, and it looked like it promised to be a nice day out there.He peeked down to see if anyone was outside. He could see several people, but he couldn't make out who they were. He'll have to go and check it out for himself. The coffee was done by the time he finished dressing, so he put some in a mug and started to head downstairs.

Once outside, he saw that Jou and Honda were already waiting for him at a picnic table. Dottie was also outside, looking as cheerful as ever. Yami loved her; she was one of the first few friends he had made after moving there. She was the one who helped him feel more comforatable getting used to his new life. She was almost as close to him as Jou and Honda were. He would do anything to make her happy. Just her smile each day was enough to cheer him up.

She spotted him. "Well, good morning, Yami," she said cheerfully. She seemed really happy about something. "Morning yourself," he told her back, trying to be just as happy. She smiled. "My grandkids are coming to visit me today. It's been two weeks since I last saw them." Yami set down his coffee. "You never told me you had grandkids." "Oh, but I do! One grandaughter, and one grandson. Actually, I have seven grandsons, but only one is visiting me today. They should be here soon." He drank some more coffee. "So you babysit them often?" Dottie looked right at him. "They don't need babysitting. they're old enough to take care of themselves." He stopped drinking again. "Oh. So it's just a visit." "Just a visit." "So, who's dropping them off? Their parents?" "No," she told him. "The older of the two is old enough to drive. Almost headed to college." He almost choked. "Wow, I'm really sorry. I didn't know...." "Don't sweat it," she told him. "I never told you about them anyway. You had no choice but to guess." A small golden car started up the driveway. A Mazda, Yami guessed. It took a left at visitor parking. "Oh, they're here!," Dottie smiled again. She turned to Yami. "You must meet my granddaughter. You'll love her! All her jokes..." "Grandma!," a small child's voice yelled. Yami looked in the direction of the yell. A boy who looked roughly 11 was running up the sidewalk. Having a bit of difficulty running, he should say. This kid was literally well rounded.

"Hello, baby", Dottie greeted him when he finally made it there. "Where's your sister?" "She's still in the car," the boy told her. "Well, she should hurry up. This man is eager to meet her." She pointed to Yami. "Oh, I can wait. If it's worth it." "Oh, believe me, it's worth it," the boy told him. He then heard a 'beep!' sound. "She locked the car," the boy told Yami, seeing that he was confused. "So, um...what's your sister like anyway? I mean, what are her likes, her dislikes, those sorts of things...I mean, uh, well," he asked, feeling a bit nervous. Why am I nervous?, he asked himself. I haven't even seen her yet..."There she is!," the boy cried, pointing. Yami looked in the direction of the pointing finger, and what he saw amazed him. There was this girl, walking towards him, with long flowing hair that seemed to sway rhythmically as she walked; blue eyes; gorgeous features everywhere.And she was pretty tall; almost as tall as he was. Hell, she was just pretty, and rightfully so.

"Hi, gram," the girl said when she got there, almost ignoring the sweating Yami next to her. She looked at him. "Who's this fella?" "His name is Yami," Dottie told her. "He was interested when I started to tell him about you this morning. I thought you two could talk for a while." She chuckled. "You need to branch out more, Jenna. Meet new people. Do that sort of thing." "Well alright," the girl said softly. She extended her hand to him. "My name's Jenna. Nice to meet you," she told him. He started to stick out his own hand, which happened to be shaking. She noticed. "You okay?" "Oh...yeah...I'm fine.....too much coffee or something..heh-heh...," he said weakly. He took her hand, and let it roll around in his for a while, analyzing it features. It was very small and slender; delicate. He gently gripped her wrist. It was also slender. If he had wanted to, he could have gripped it with his thumb and smallest finger, and the two would have overlapped. "Wow....," he said softly. "...You gonna let go of me now, or not?," she asked him quietly. "Oh, sorry....," he said, quickly letting her go. "I have to help my grandmother out with something. When I'm done, do you want me to come visit you? And get to know you?" Yami reddened. Now? Already? "Um...maybe later...I have...stuff...to do myself." Nearby, Jou and Honda heard his answer. "You baka....," they both muttered under their breath. "Well, alright, if you're sure. Maybe later. My parents are coming to get him," -she pointed to her brother-" but I'm staying for a couple of days. So feel free to give me a buzz." She then turned and left with her grandmother and brother, who was skipping and trying not to step on the cracks in the sidewalk. Yami watched her go until she was all the way inside the building.

That's when Jou and Honda decided to confront him. "You idiot!," Honda said. "You should have invited her up!" Yami just looked at him. "I know." "So, are you gonna? If you let her slip by, you may never get another chance." Yami glanced over at the red house at the edge of the driveway. He glared at it. "I guess I'll give it a try..." They grinned. "That's it."

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He sighed. "No, that's not it."

He had been fretting around in his apartment, trying to make it look somewhat orderly. If a girl was going to come up and see him, he had to at least make everything look decent. He decided to run things off in his head. Let's see...bed's made....clothes are put away......He glanced at the counter. "You baka....how you can make such a mess of that poor counter is beyond me." He had just realised that not only did he leave the coffee maker out, but also the creamer, sugar, the filters, and the container of coffee. He groaned. "You filthy, little...ugh. You make Jou look cleaner than yourself sometimes." Once he got that squared away, he was relatively done. Now all that was left....- he glanced at his phone -....was to call down and invite her up. He looked back at the clock. Better not to do that just yet, he decided. I met her only 10 minutes ago. She couldn't be done already. So he tried his best to be patient about it. Relax, he told himself. Don't get so tense. It's just a girl. Get loose...that's it...loosey goosey....tense is bad, loose is good.....tense is bad, loose is good...he repeated over and over to himself. He laughed. If Jou could see me now....

About a half an hour later, Yami decided if he was going to even get a chance to call her, he should do it now. But deep inside, he didn't feel ready for it. He just didn't. He hadn't been around a real girl for months, almost a year now. But he just had to do it.....He reached for the receiver, feeling a lump rise in his throat. He started to dial Dottie's number carefully. He listened to it ringing. After three rings, Dottie answered. "Hello?" "Dottie? It's me, Yami. I wanted to talk to your granddaughter." 'Oh, sure, just a second.' He heard her call for Jenna, and her brother answered that she was in the bathroom. 'She'll be out in a minute. Just wait a few.' She put down the receiver, but didn't hang up, just left it sitting there. It grew quiet in Yami's apartment as he waited for Jenna's answer. 'Hello?,' a soft voice asked. "Hello, it's me. From this morning." 'Oh, Yami, it's you! You want me to come up there?' "Sure, if you're ready." 'Alright, I'm on my way up.' She then hung up, and Yami started sweating. She said she'd come up! He was filled with feelings he couldn't even describe. Excitement, anticipation, fear, all these feelings bubbled up inside him. Was he ready? Yes. Wait, no. No, Yes he was...was he?

A knock on the door made Yami's heart stop dead in its tracks. "Just a second !," he called.

Alright, don't do anything stupid now...you hear? He opened the door for her, his breath finally returning to him.

"Hello," he greeted her with a sweet smile. Or at least he hoped it looked sweet. "Hi," she said back. Yami noticed she was carrying something. It looked like a sketchbook. He was sweating gallons by the minute. He also thought his hands were shaking again. "Well, come on in and make yourself comfortable. I'll be right out." He dashed into the bathroom, leaving Jenna by herself in the living room. She flipped on the TV and lay upside down on the couch; that is, her head was near the floor, and her feet were up on the back of the couch.

I thought I told you not to do anything stupid!, he yelled at himself. 'What did I do that was stupid?,' another part of him asked. You ran and hid in the bathroom!, he yelled back. 'I couldn't help it. I was nervous.' Well, stop being nervous! ' I can't.' Well, try! Done with his little rant to himself, he realized he really was nervous. Calm, down, calm on, you left the poor girl out there by herself. Is this how a gentleman treats a young lady? Pause. No, it's not. Now get out there and don't run back in here again. He gulped, took a huge breath, then opened the door.

When he entered the living room, he spotted her in her awkward position. He tilted himself to the side,upside down, so he could look her in her eye. "When I said 'make yourself comfortable', I didn't think you were going to do that." She flipped straight up again, nearly falling off the couch. " I only do that when I get really bored with myself." She was bored already? And she just got up here? "I'm sorry about the...um..'abandonment' a couple minutes ago. Something came over me." "It's alright. You were probably nervous." His eyes widened. "How.....did you know that?" She looked at him. "I could sense it." "................," was all Yami could say. He was at a lack of words. Sensing someone's fear? Not possible.

He looked over at her sketchbook again. Might as well start up a conversation somehow, he thought. "So...you draw?" "Oh, yes." "May I have a look?" "Sure." She handed him the book, and Yami thumbed through it. Pictures of many different thing were in it. Wolves, lions...a few cats...and anime characters were the main subjects. He came across some still life sketches, including one of a cat who was looking at her reflection in a sliding door. "Very nice. You have some amazing talent. Do you draw people too?" "I can. I'm not very good at it, but I can." "Nonsense. I bet you're just as good at that as you are at drawing wolves," he said with a smile. Jenna took the smile as a sign that he was telling the truth. "Would you like me to draw you?," she offered. Yami looked surprised. "Little old me? You want to draw little old me?" "Well, yes...if you wouldn't mind." He grinned at this idea. "Go ahead. Draw to your heart's content." He then made a pose while sitting on the couch: one arm along the back of it, one leg crossed over the knee of the other, all while doing that grin he's famous for.

He watched her as she started sketching. She seemed awful fast, and he could almost guess exactly what part of him she was drawing. Okay, she went up, down again at a different angle....did it again...she must be doing my hair.Now...four more lines...spending a little extra time shading the bottom...must be my eyes....He wanted to say something to her, but knew he shouldn't talk until she was done. "Okay, you're finished," she said after a while. She showed it to him, and he was shocked. It looked exactly like him, maybe even better than him. She was getting ready to take it out of her book when he stopped her. "No. Keep it there. Just in case we never see each other again after today." "Don't talk foolish," she said to him. He cocked his head to the side a little. "We'll see each other plenty of times. Don't you worry about that." A faint pink blush creeped across his cheeks. So she's serious....he thought. "Would you like something to drink? I'm a little thirsty myself,"he offered. "Sure. Okay." He got out his daquiri kit, and saw thw worry on her face. "Don't worry, I make virgins." She seemed to sigh a relief sigh. He started to mix the drinks. "So, do you come up here often?" "Yes. Rather often. Heh, call me crazy, but I've seen you before. I just never bothered to ask you who you were." He smiled. "Lazy pants," he said jokingly. "No, not lazy. Just not really interested until now." "Yeah?" "Yeah. You know, I never did ask you how old you were. You look like you're in your late teens, maybe early twenties." "About that, yes." "You don't even know your own age?" He didn't respond to that.

He brought over the two daquiris, and no sooner had he put them on the table, the phone rang. "Now what...?" It was Dot. She needed her granddaughter to come downstairs with her to leave. Jenna "awww"-ed in the background, then turned to Yami. "Oh well...good thing these are paper cups..I'll take it with me. I may be driving, but there's no alcohol, so I'll be safe. Unless I drink it all before I get down there." "I....wouldn't try that..." "Why not? It's almost half empty now." "Oh, all right.." He stood up to take her to the door, then she turned to him. "Thanks for letting me come up to see you. I had a great time." "So did I." Maybe I'll come steal you someday...bring you to my house to visit." He blushed again. "Are you sure about that? I mean...what would your parents say?" Yeah, right...what would my parents say..., she wondered. Knowing them...." I think, after a few more visits, they'll be fine. Maybe they'll let me stay here once in a while. "Maybe." "Well, I have to hurry up and leave. See you again soon." She then gave him a gentle farewell kiss on his cheek, then started down the hallway towards the elevators. Yami watched her leave, blushing, his heart doing double flips in his chest. "G...good...bye then...." "See you soon!," she called back.

Yep, she's a keeper, he decided.

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That wraps up chapter 2! Please R&R! (hopefully more than one person this time...!)


	3. Staying the night

Hello again! Yet again, only one person reviewed this story last chapter. I'm not completely complaining, I just think it would be nicer if MORE than one person submitted a review. And sorry for the long wait, what with school, driver's ed and all.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

_Thanks for letting me come up to see you. I had a great time._

The words still rang in his head that night as he lay awake in bed. For reasons unknown to him, he was having difficulty trying to fall asleep.

_We'll see each other plenty of times. Don't you worry about that._

"I won't," he said to no one.

_Maybe I'll come steal you someday...take you to my place.._

"That sounds nice..."

_Maybe they'll let me stay here once in a while._

He thought a while. "Maybe they would...," he said softly while finally falling asleep. He had an idea.

The next morning, after he had showered and dressed, he spritzed himself with cologne. It was a cologne he had worn when he was around Anzu, and he hoped it would work on this new girl.He sauntered into his living room and headed for his phone to call her, then stopped. He had forgotten one thing: He didn't have her phone number yet. He smacked his forehead. He had forgotten to get it the last time they met. "Now, what do I do?" Wait. That's it. He grinned. He had another idea.

"You want me to do what," Dot asked. "Call her up for me and say that you want her to stay over for the night, when she is really coming up to my apartment." "But that's lying! You never lie!" "I'm in love, Dot. No one really thinks straight when they're in love." "I can't do that. I'd be lying to both my daughter and my son-in-law, not to mention Jenna may not think she is going up to your place, and...oh, I just can't!" At this point, Yami had dropped to his knees on the floor and was looking up at Dot with enormous puppy eyes. "Pwease...," he said, in probably the sweetest voice anyone ever heard(A/N: I got the funniest mental image from this. Just try picturing Yami doing this.). There was silence for about five minutes, then Dot said," Those eyes aren't going to work this time." He stood up. "But Dot, don't you remember my dream? How I wanted to leave this place, and throw those terrible memories of my life away?...Oh, that's it...," he said sneering. "What's it?" "You don't want me to leave! That's why you won't call! Aw, I never knew you cared so much!" "Wait a sec! I do want you to live a better life than you did before, just...I don't know..." He hugged her. "You want me to stay with you for ever and ever and ever, don't you," he said in a baby voice. "No! I want you to leave! Leave, leave, leave, leave!"

He stared at her. "So you want me to leave." "Yes!" He shrugged. "Alright, I'll leave." He started for the door. "Wait, no! That's not what I meant!" He turned. "You said leave," he said, stifling a laugh. "Yami, you have the worst sense of humor around," Dot said laughing. "Alright, we'll make the call. But you need to keep quiet while I do it, or you'll get caught. Got it?" "Fine."

"Hang on, I'll call her into the room. Jenna, Come here," her mother called. "Hang on, "Jenna called from the other room. When she entered, her mother told her that her grandmother wanted to know if she would like to come up for the night.Of course, Jenna said yes. Yami silently cheered to himself. "She also says to bring along your favorite music, and...and not to have supper here, she'll make something for you. And anything else you think you need." 'My music? Since when did grandma have an interest in my music? Unless...Oh...I get it...' "Alright, I'll start getting ready then. Any specific time she wants me to be there?" "Any time you feel ready," her mother said. Jenna let out a small snicker that even Yami could hear. "Alright, then I'm not going." Yami's heart sank. 'But she just said...' Jenna laughed. "Just kidding. I'll be up there as soon as I finish getting ready."

When she got up there, both Dot and Yami were waiting for her. Yami's heart was beating extremely hard, he was so nervous. A girl was going to spend the night with him. He hadn't done this in so long..."Hey, you two." "Hello, dear," Dot said after hugging her. She turned to Yami. "She's all yours." She then turned back to Jenna. "You don't mind, do you?" "No. I guessed I was going to see him when he asked to bring my music. I knew you hated my stuff, so I knew it wasn't you." "Good guess," Yami told her. "Ready to head up?" "Sure." The two walked into the building, and Dot watched them go, happy that Yami finally found a chance at achieving his dream.

He opened the door to his apartment, then flipped on the light. He had a few candles lit for a setting, and something was already cooking in the oven. He was looking forward to this."Where do you want me to put these," she asked him, holding up a backpack and a case for a large instrument, most likely a guitar. "In the bedroom is fine. That's where you're sleeping." "What about you? You're not sleeping on the couch, are you?" "It's nothing new, I've done that before." "But it looks so uncomfortable! I don't mind if we share the same bed. It's no big deal if we do." He started to sweat. 'She's already planning ahead...' "Only if you're sure..." "Of course I'm sure. It's your apartment, anyway. You have a right to sleep in your own bed." "I guess so." She sat down on the couch again, and was getting ready to flip upside down like last time when Yami got her by the leg. "Oh, no you don't. You'll get dizzy, or worse." "What's worse than getting dizzy?" "Well, you could fall off...I did that the other day. I was copying you, and I fell right off." She let out a laugh. "It's all in the technique. Like this." She flipped upside down on the couch again. "See? Now you try." A little unsure, Yami moved over to the couch, then attempted to flip upside down like she did. He was getting ready to fall again when she grabbed one of his legs and threw it up against the back of the couch. A little shaky at first, but within a few minutes, he was lying there at her side, in the exact same position as her. He threw out his arms as if to say "Ta-daa!", but it threw him off balance and he slid right off and landed with a thud on the floor. He groaned a little. She got up and went over to him to see if he was alright. "I'm fine," he reassured her. "That's what I was talking about when I said I would fall off." She helped him stand up again, then he sat down on the couch( the right way this time). She just stared at him. Strong muscles tensed beneath his leather shirt. Strong muscles that looked like they'd be willing to protect her, no matter what came their way. And with everything she'd been through already, she could use that protection. Those strong arms looked like they'd provide the safety and comfort she had never been able to have.

"So, do you play guitar a lot," he asked her to break the unnerving silence between them. "Oh," Jenna said, startled, snapping back to reality. "Yes, yes I do. My friend Sam has been teaching me to play for a while, and every now and then I'll just randomly start playing. I can do that now if you wish." Yami sniffed the air. "That will have to wait," he said. "The roast is ready." "A roast? You made a roast? How did you know I liked those," she asked him. "I asked your grandmother. So...you're getting a roast tonight. And all the trimmings, too. Well, most of them. I have potatoes going and some rolls are baking in with the roast." "You sweetheart...," she told him affectionately, making him blush. "I like that...a guy knows exactly what I like...I think that's so sweet..." "And after this," Yami started while taking the roast out," My friends Jounouchi and Honda want to see you. That's why I asked you to bring your music. You can even take your guitar down there with you." "Alright. I'd love to meet your friends." "And they'd love to meet you. Just..just don't flip upside down on Jou's couch...if you do that...he'll go nuts." "Why? He won't like it?" "No...whenever Jou sees someone do something interesting, such as what you did with the couch, he starts doing it himself. Then he'll do it on something else. The next thing you know, he'll be up on the roof hanging over the edge like that. Not a good thing." " So I see..."

"Okay, don't talk to me for a bit. I'm turning the carver on." A loud buzzing noise told Jenna he had turned it on and was now slicing the roast. She lay on the couch patiently. 'Hmm...he's right...it isn't all that uncomfortable...' She sprawled out on it, relaxing. 'It's actually very comfortable...' All of a sudden the buzzing stopped and Jenna looked to see Yami smiling sweetly at her. "Comfortable, are we?" "Yes...actually I am...," she said while running a hand along the fabric. "It's so soft and plush..." "You like it? The fabric came from Egypt. I love it...it's just so comfortable..." He sighed. "It...kinda makes me homesick, really..." She sat up again. "Homesick? You mean you came from Egypt?" "Yes." "Wow. I'd love to go there someday...see the pyramids..and the Sphinx..." "Maybe I'll take you. We'll run away together," he said while setting the roast and everything else on the table. "You'd do that?" "I would." "Aww..." She went up and gently hugged him before taking her seat. "That's really cute..." Yami took his seat slowly. The feeling of that hug seemed to spread everywhere on his body. "Well...go ahead. Eat." She cut herself a small bite from her slice of roast, and no sooner had she put it into her mouth, a smile spread across her face. "Wow...hey...that's really good...did my grandmother tell you to make it this way?" "Nope. This is my own recipe," Yami told her while starting on his own plate. "Your own? Are you a chef or something?" He laughed. "No...I was just trying to find a way to jazz it up a bit. And from what you told me, it seems as if I have managed to do just that." "Actually, you did more than that." "Thank you," he smiled. "Tomorrow morning I'll make something for you. As a way of saying thanks."

Once finished with their meal, Jenna offered to wash the dishes so Yami could take a little break. They enjoyed a small, leisurely chat while she washed. When she finished, she gathered her music and her guitar together while Yami called Jounouchi up to let him know that they were on their way down. "Awright, see ya then," Jou said before hanging up. Jenna finished tuning her guitar in the other room when she heard Yami hang up the phone. He knocked gently on the door, then opened it. "You all set?" "Just a sec," she told him while putting her guitar away. She also placed some sheet music into its case along with the guitar. She then closed it up and locked it. "All right, now I'm all set." He opened the door for her, then they left.

"Can you do that one song...I can't remember what it's called... it goes something like this...," Jou started. Next thing they knew, he was belting out sour notes.

"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road,

Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go..."

After taking her hands off her ears, she simply said no.

"Do you know 'Stories'? The one by Trapt," Honda tried.

"That one I _do_ know," Jenna chuckled. She started to strum the guitar strings.

I** found a line, and then it grew**

**I found myself still thinking of you**

**I felt so empty and now I'm fine**

That sounds like me, thought Yami.

**But still it's burning, when will you be mine?**

**Too much of the same stories in our lives**

**I think it's time for change, don't you?**

**Too much of the same stories in our lives**

**I think it's time for us to walk away from here**

**Stories in our lives, we keep them all inside**

**Stories in our lives, we keep them all inside**

**Now look at me still in your mind**

**Our memories so intertwined**

**But you broke through and found your way**

**And so did I, no need to stay**

**In the same old picture, tried and true**

**We've been through that, let's look for something new**

**Too much of the same stories in our lives**

**I think it's time for change, don't you?**

**Too much of the same stories in our lives**

**I think it's time for us to walk away from here**

**Do you remember lying on the beach so late at night?**

**Do you remember running through the sprinklers that night?**

**Do you remember all the songs that I have wrote for you**

**All the songs that I have wrote for you**

**For you**

**I remember the way you made me feel when I was with you**

**I remember the smile that always brought me back to you**

**That look in your eyes, I never thought that this would be untrue**

**That look in your eyes, I never thought that this would be untrue**

**Untrue**

**Too much of the same stories in our lives**

**I think it's time for change, don't you?**

**Too much of the same stories in our lives**

**I think it's time for us to walk away from here**

Yes. That sounds just like...no... it _is_ exactly like me..., Yami decided.

He joined Honda and Jou in giving her some light applause, and she bowed as best as she could while sitting on a chair with a guitar.

"That was pretty good! Do you take lessons?"

"Sorta...my friend Sam teaches me after school sometimes. If we're not busy doing SHAM, that is."

"SHAM," Jou, Yami, and Honda all asked at the same time. "What is that?"

"It's short for Shepherd Hill AM Show. We air it every Friday at school, and we stay after school during the week and put it together. It's kind of silly. We have things such as NATH..."

"NATH?"

"News At The Hill. We have two 'anchors' that do strange reports, and cover some school functions, such as football games, dances, and the like."

"Oh."

"We also do video game reviews, Current Events, Sports Revolution, George's Rant, and random funny stuff. It's all student produced. It's a lot of fun!"

"I'd love to come see that," Jou exclaimed. "...Too bad I'm in the middle of exams week..."

"I'll come snag you when you're done. It's weekly. In fact, all three of you could come! Now you guys are..."

"Sophomores, except for Yami here. They bumped him up a grade. He's a junior."

"I'm a junior too. That's nice...he'd fit right in with my classes and such."

"I doubt it. You look like you take AP courses. I don't think Yami could keep up with that." This earned Jou a fierce nudge in the ribs.

"No...I have level 1 and 2 classes. Nothing's AP."

"What are the level 1 classes?"

"English, Spanish, Human Phys, and Early Childhood. That last one's fun. You get a little 3-5 year old and a high school partner, and it's like being in kindergarten all over again. All you do is color and play."

"Any nap time?"

"Nope. Not that I know of. And my level 2 classes are History and Math. Those are pretty much Sped classes. I so suck at math."

"What are you doing right now? I'm kinda good at math," Yami offered.

" Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing..-"

"That's not so bad...",Yami started.

"-Polynomials."

"Now that's bad...," Yami winced. "But I take Human Phys. Knowing me, if I took Chemistry, half of the school would get blown up because of me."

Jou was holding his head. "Can we stop talking about school and change the subject, PLEASE?"

"Sorry...," both Jenna and Yami said softly. Realizing they had said the same thing at the same time, they stared at each other. Yami blushed a little. Jenna looked at him with a gentle smile.

Jou and Honda just grinned as they watched the two making eyes at each other.

"You were right, they were friendly guys," Jenna told Yami when they made it back to his apartment. "A bit goofy, but friendly."

"True, they are a bit goofy. But that's why I like them. They're my buddies. I can't go anywhere without them."

She took a few things into his bathroom to change, while he dressed himself in his room. As he changed, he noticed that his hand was shaking again. He had forgotten: they were sharing a bed. He wasn't too surprised to find himself getting nervous again.

He heard a soft yawn from just outside his door. He opened it to see Jenna standing there, decked out in track pants and a pajama tank. She looked at him in his black tank and pants. "Not much of a change, huh?" He just smiled.

He let her climb into bed first, then got in on the other side. When both were in, he shut off the light. He tried to settle into bed, and try to forget for a few seconds that there was indeed, a girl next to him. But it was almost impossible, he could smell her delicate perfume.

"Yami?"

"Hmm?"

"I...wanted to thank you for inviting me..."

"Any time, Jenna. Anytime."

He started to gently wrap his arms around her, and he felt her settle into them. He was thankful that the light was off, so she couldn't see the bright pink flush that had just appeared across his face.

"You...sure you don't mind this," he asked her.

"Not at all...I was feeling a little cold anyway...it feels nice...you're very gentle...I like that."

He hugged her a little tighter, and felt her suddenly wince. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing...nothing at all..," she seemed to say through gritted teeth.

He didn't believe her. "Just a second ago you said I was gentle. Now you think you're hurt?"

She really didn't want to say this..."Lift up the back of my shirt and you'll see why I winced."

A little edgy about it at first, Yami did what she said and gasped in horror at what he saw next.

Ooh, cliffie! What did Yami see on Jenna's back? Find out next chapter!

BTW, the whole SHAM thing is real. We do it at my high school. And yes, Jou, Honda, and Yami will be in it at some point in time.


	4. Hidden secrets

Hello again! Time to pick up where that cliffie left off!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh. If I did, this would be the next movie, and I'd make sure it won at least four Academy Awards.

Yami could not believe what he was seeing. Deep, long marks were all over Jenna's back, as if she was whipped with something. They looked like they had been there for only a few weeks or so.

"How did you get these," he asked her in a concerned tone.

"I...I can't tell you that..."

"And why not? If something's going, it's a good idea to tell someone you trust. And you can trust me. I promise."

"...Are you in the mood for a long story, then?"

"If you'll tell me where you got those grooves, yes."

She took a deep breath. She wasn't expecting to tell him this. " It started about 10 years ago, when my brother was born. Before that, both my mother and father loved me equally. After he was born, however, my mother got more abusive to me. She revered him and reviled me. She screamed, threw things at me, did all kinds of crazy things. And it was never my brother's fault. He hates to see her do things like that to me. He prays every day that it will finally stop. And my dad has tried everything to get my mom to stop, but now she threatens him if he does anything. It's a never-ending cycle. And it's only getting worse. Even my sister has gone nuts.You didn't see her last time because she was in rehab."

Yami felt himself starting to shake. This was frightening for him. Here was this girl, so beautiful and innocent, getting beaten in her own home?

"Yami, what do I do? I'm almost afraid to go home, it's as if I won't be alive by tomorrow...I can see a large knife laying on the counter at home, just waiting for me to come through the door so it can plunge itself into me..." Small crystal-like tears were building up in the corners of her eyes.

Not knowing what else to do, Yami did the only thing he could do: He gathered her close in his arms and wrapped the covers around her. "Shh," he said soothingly," it's going to be okay. I promise." Or I hope I can promise, he thought.

Feeling a small shudder against him, he looked down and saw that she was crying freely.

Even though they were in the dark, Yami could see tears streaming down the young girl's face.

He hugged her even tighter. "Jenna. Look at me." When he was sure that he had her attention, he gave her a warm smile. "No matter what happens, I will be there for you. I can promise you that. If something comes up, you call me and I'll come running. I'll get you out of there. I won't let anything happen to you. Ever."

She dried her eyes. "You know, you're the first person I've been able to trust in a long time," she told him as her smile returned to her face. She hugged him. "Thank you so much. This is something I've never had."

"What is?"

"A real friend. One that's actually going to be there for me. No one would ever do that for me in the past. And now I have you."

He let her hug him some more, then the song Jenna had played down at Jou's popped into his head.

**Look at me, still in your mind**

**our memories so intertwined.**

**Too much of the same stories in our lives...**

It's us, he thought. It's exactly like the both of us.

She yawned again, then snuggled down into the covers, releasing Yami from her grip. Within a few minutes she was fast asleep, not making a noise. Yami looked down at her and just smiled. You may not know it yet, but you and I are very much alike, his mind spoke to her. Then he, too, nestled down into the covers and shut his eyes, but not before gently wrapping his arms around her and giving her a gentle kiss on her cheek. He then rested his head on her shoulder, assuming a very protective position, as if to say, "Back Off."

He yawned and stretched, then noticed that there was a lot of room in that bed. Something was missing. "Jenna? Where'd you go?" He sat up in bed, then glanced at the clock. 10 in the morning.

"Hey, where are you?" "In the kitchen," came her voice through the door. He quickly dressed himself and went out to see her. She stood by the stove, making pancakes. "See? I promised you I'd make breakfast this morning." "And they look great. I'm starved," he said over her shoulder. She flipped a couple more, then said, "Hey," in a hushed tone.

"Hmm?"

"About last night...I wanted to say thank you...you made me feel safe and secure..and that's something I can never get at home anymore."

She turned her head and gave him a kiss right on his lips. His eyes widened in shock and surprise, but he soon joined her in sharing the kiss. It went on for about two minutes, then Yami smelled something strange.

"Do you smell something..burning?"

She did, and it turned out to be one of the pancakes that she had forgotten to flip over. "Shit," she said rather loudly, trying to get the now stuck pancake to turn over. He raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I've ever heard you swear before." "I had a good reason to," she told him. "Look what happened to it." She showed him the pancake. One side was a golden yellow. The other was as black as tar. "This is why I'm not a chef," she laughed. "Don't worry, I'll eat this one. I have to learn from failures." "But this is easy to fix," Yami said smiling. He took the pancake and sliced it in half like a bagel. He then took the black side and threw it away. "There, problem solved." She started to laugh again. He loved to see her laugh. Just that smile was enough to give him goosebumps.

After having breakfast, Yami took care of the dishes this time while she gathered her things together. He felt a sudden ache. He didn't want her to leave. He couldn't believe himself. He thought that he sounded really stupid, saying that he didn't want her to leave. But he didn't. He didn't want her to go back to her mother. He feared that he may never see her again if her mother got at her. But he couldn't worry like that. He felt silly. I'll see her again, he told himself.

She came back into the living room. "Alright, everything's packed and on the bed. Should I call home for a ride?" He thought for a moment. "No. I'll give you a ride home. Then I can meet your family and introduce myself as a friend. How's that sound instead?" "Sounds cool to me," Jenna told him. He lead her downstairs and helped her load her things into his car. He had a nice car: a little red Mazda. Jenna thought that it was "kind of cute," and laughed a little because it was the exact same model as her car, just a different color. She playfully called him a copycat.

As they were riding home, Yami couldn't help being a little anxious. With everything he had heard about her family, he wasn't sure if this was a good idea now. With every turn they made down the road, he considered just turning around and heading home after dropping her off. "Alright, take one more turn here and it's the first tan house on your right." He spotted the corner of it, but almost missed it, because there were two huge pine trees in front of it. He spotted the little golden Mazda in the driveway, and he pulled up next to it. "Alright, there you go. It was fun having you." "What, you're not coming inside so everyone can meet you?" "I don't know if I should...I mean..won't your mother...?" "I don't think so...she doesn't act that way when company's around. And we say you're a friend and not my boyfriend, she'll be cool." "Well, okay..I'll visit for a little while." He got out of the car and took a good look at the house. It was a long, large house, all tan and white, with large windows in the front. "It's kinda pretty here...kinda quiet feeling." "You kidding? That road down there is the main drag. It's like living next to the highway." He chuckled before following her inside.

"Leave your shoes there," she told him while pointing to a rug near the door. He did as he was told, then she opened the door and called out, "Guess who?" **Thud thud thud thud**. "Jenna," cried out her brother, flinging himself onto her in a big hug. He saw Yami. "So how was Grandma's," he asked while giving Yami a wink that seemed to say, "Don't worry, your secret's safe." "Just fine," Jenna told him. "Liz came home today," Joseph told her. "Is she okay?" "She's doing a lot better." "Hello, honey," a deep voice said, deeper than Yami's own voice. He looked and saw a tall man with a beard and slightly gray hair. This must be her father, Yami thought. he watched him embrace his daughter, then direct his attention at him. "Who's your friend?" "This is Yami. I met him last night while at Grandma's. He's really nice." " Pleased to meet you young man," he said while squeezing Yami's hand. The squeeze hurt a little. That man was strong. He told Yami to come closer. "You're more than friends, aren't you," he whispered in Yami's ear. "Yes, sir..." "Good," her father told him. "The sooner she finds a good man, the sooner she can get out of this death trap." He thumped Yami's back.

Jenna was now in their living room, sitting on their couch. When Yami saw her, he was surprised to find her sitting normally. "Well, aren't you going to flip again?" "She flipped," her father asked. "Yeah. The first time she came up, I left the room for a few minutes, and when I came back, I found her like this..."-he flipped upside down to show him. Joseph giggled. "She hasn't done that in years," her father said. "Oh...I feel special now...," Yami said with a grin.

Another person entered the room. She looked more like her father. She had wild-looking eyes, eyes that made Yami feel a little uneasy. "Who's this," she asked in a sort of snooty, who-the-hell-are-you-and-what-are-you-doing-here kind of tone. "My friend," Jenna said as calmly as she could. "Oh," the girl said in the same tone before leaving. Yami raised an eyebrow at her.

"Liz?"

"Liz."

"'Kay."

They heard the sound pulling into the garage outside. "That's mom," Joseph told Yami in a bit of a hushed tone. Yami felt nervous again. He didn't want to get hurt...or let Jenna get hurt either. "Maybe I should leave..." "No, things will be fine. Just stay put." The door opened. "Hi mom," both kids answered. "Hello," she answered. Yami thought she sounded nice. "Jenna made a new friend," Joseph told her. "Let me see her." "Jenna tried not to laugh at Yami's face, his immediate reaction upon being called a girl. "HE's in the living room." "It's a he?" "Yes, ma'am, I'm a he," Yami said from the living room. "I don't know...I think I need proof." Yami's eyes were as big as dinner plates. "You... don't want me to...?" Her mother's laughter came from the kitchen. "I'm only kidding, I wouldn't do that..." He let out a huge sigh of relief. She walked in and saw him siiting with Jenna. "Oh...this is your friend...," she said in a tone that seemed to have lost the cheery feeling it had earlier. Jenna hid a little behind Yami's side, a little afraid. "Well he looks nice...and fierce...just look at those eyes.." "I'm from Egypt. That's why they look like that." "Oh. Okay."

Yami stood up. " I must leave. Thanks for letting me stay for a bit. But Jou and Honda will wonder where I've disappeared to. Thank you once again." He stood up and got ready to leave. "Bye, buddy," she told him before hugging him. He felt her mother's eyes burning into him as he acepted the hug. "Bye. I'll see you again soon." Then he left for his car.

Hopefully her mother won't do anything serious, he prayed as he buckled up and turned the car on.

But no sooner had he left the driveway, heading for home, did Jenna's mother pull out a long belt and started striking her with it, yelling curse words over the cries of pain.

Someone's in a bit of trouble...Next chapter: A bit of bad news and a bit of good news.

Please R&R! Also please keep in mind that I have a very busy schedule to attend to, so forgive me if I don't publish as often as I normally do.


	5. The good comes with the bad

Yay! Time for another new chapter!

This is going to be a very long story, mind you. I have a lot planned for these two.

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO. You sue me, and I'll have enough money to get me through Yale.

(>

He was tired. Exhausted. Bushed. Any of the other words that have the same meaning as "tired". He just wanted to get home, sit in his comfy chair by the window, and finish that book he was trying to read. Or at least take a good chunk out of it. He was only on chapter five. He took a right at the next exit off the highway.

Once he parked his car on the other side of the building (someone stole his usual parking space), he walked tiredly up to the building. He waved to Jou and Honda in the rec room, then pressed the button to the elevator.

When he got to his apartment, however, he wasn't able to do everything he had wanted to do before. Sure, he got home, but he couldn't relax in his comfy chair by the window. It was already occupied. The person sitting there was very small, and looked a lot like him...

"Yugi?", the former Pharaoh asked. The head turned away from the window it was looking out of. "Hey, Yami. Long time no see." "Yugi!" Yami ran for the young boy and scooped him up in his arms, hugging him tight. As if today couldn't get any better. But wait. What was Yugi doing up here? Didn't he have that restraining order? Yami questioned this, and got a rather lengthy explanation.

"Well, I decided that this whole thing was just crazy, and that it wasn't Anzu's right to restrain me from you without my saying so. So I had it removed, and I left her. And I'm not the only one doing it either. Ryou's also getting his removed as well, and we're both moving up here. A couple of apartments opened up. If Anzu wants to be immature, she can do that on her own."

Yami hugged the young boy even tighter. "You don't know how much I've missed you, Yugi. You just don't." Yugi struggled a little under the Egyptian's grasp, apparently finding it a little harder to breathe. "Yami...lungs...need air...LET GO." "Sorry," Yami said quickly, releasing him. After Yugi managed to get some oxygen in his system, he asked Yami how things were since the day he left. "Tolerable. That's all I can say. The people here are nice, and Jou and Honda have kept me company for the most part." He smiled. "Although, I met someone new over the last couple of days." "Oh...who...," Yugi asked. Yami smiled again. "She's absolutely amazing. She's cute, funny, plays guitar, is artistic, and..did I mention she's cute? She's even better than Anzu was."

"Well, at least you've kept yourself busy for the most part. What's her name?" "Her name is Jenna." "That's a nice name. And if she's that much better than Anzu, maybe you can start over new with her." "Perhaps."

Just then the phone rang. Yugi looked at Yami quizzically, then Yami picked it up and scanned the ID. It was Jenna. "Oooh, it's her. Maybe she'll talk to you." He pressed Talk. "Hello?" "Hey Yami," her voice said softly and, maybe a bit full of pain. "Hey...what's wrong? You sound upset..." "Oh, Yami! Just after you left she whipped me! and she whipped me good! She used a large belt too!" "Where are you calling me from? Home?" "Oh no...I'm in the ICU downtown right now...if I was at home calling you right now, I'd be in a worse condition than I already am in to begin with." "Was it that bad?" "Yes...we're still waiting for the gashes to stop bleeding before they can do anything...I look like a tiger with bright red stripes right now.." Yami was taking very deep breaths right now, not just because of the fact that he had been holding his breath the entire time Jenna described her problem, but because he now felt very, very frightened.

"Is anyone else with you right now," he asked in a soothing voice, attempting to get her to calm down some. "Just my father and my brother. Mom left to 'run some errands,' so when she left, we left. Liz is by herself, but that's not important." "Because if you want me to, I can come down there and stay with you to keep you company. I have a young friend who would like to meet you anyway." "Would he mind seeing me in my current state? Because if he doesn't, I understand. You could have him wait until I'm bandaged up and stuff if he doesn't like seeing blood..." "Which I don't...," Yugi said softly. "I heard him. It shouldn't take me long before I'm bandaged anyway. So I guess a visit is fine." "Alright. I'll be there soon. Bye."

He hung up, then explained to Yugi what was going on. Yugi said he completely understood and wasn't afraid. Yami smiled, then led him downstairs to the car. Yugi ran his hands along the car. He missed this car. He missed riding with Yami on Saturdays, having people ask him if Yami was his big brother and if he was willing to part with him. He missed being with Yami all together. "Are..we going to just stand there, or are we actually going to get in," Yami asked Yugi through the window. "Oh, sorry, yeah, I'm getting in...," Yugi said hurriedly before actually opening the door and buckling.

(>

He hated being in hospitals. He never understood why he felt so uncomfortable in them, but he didn't like them anyway. There was just this strange air about it that made him uneasy. Yami wandered the endless hallways, surrounded by plain white walls and flooring. His and Yugi's footsteps echoed all down the hall, making him feel like they were the only ones there. A little further through the hallway and he was out into the open again.

He was standing in front of a waterfall. An indoor waterfall. It was warm and comfortable in there. A couple of little shops were there, and a piano stood by the waterfall. Little patios and coffee tables were scattered around. It looked comforting and relaxing.

Different departments branched off from here. He saw the radiology department, blood labs, and many others. But he was looking for the ICU. He looked at numerous sings and directories, and was getting more and more lost. He finally had no choice but to ask someone where to go. He caught a nurse while she was off-duty and asked her. She told him to down down the first hall on the left and take a left. Yugi and Yami both thanked her, then started to look for it.

Yugi came across it first. "May I help you," the nurse at the desk asked him. "Um, yes...I'm looking for a Jenna Kamakyri?( A/N: Dumb last name, but it was a last-minute resort.) Is she still here?" "Third room from the right." "Thanks." Yami overheard, and was already heading there before Yugi had a chance to relay the info. He opened the door carefully and quietly. He felt his blood surging. He took a few seconds to calm himself before entering. "Jenna," he asked in a small voice. "Right here," a voice came from the bed. Yami walked in all the way, and Yugi stood in the doorway. Even from where he stood, the boy could see her perfectly well. She was wrapped in many bandages, mostly around her arms and legs. Some looked pink-ish red because they were so sensitive to her movements, the wounds underneath would bleed again.

"Jenna?" "Hey, Yami. Good to see a familiar face around here." "Your father isn't a a familiar face?" "Well he is, but you...you're friendlier than most of the people I've met here." Yami moved a little closer to the bed and eyed her wounds. They were even worse than he imagined. If they hadn't been treated properly, she could have died.

"Jenna...I'm so sorry...if I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have left you like that...I'm sorry..." "It's not your fault...no one knew this would happen...I thought she would have quit her ways by now." "It doesn't make me feel any better..," he said softly, lowering his eyes. "Oh...Yami come here..it's okay...I'm okay...it's going to be all right..." Yami was right alongside her bed now, sad eyes watching her. "Yami..no one could have stopped this from happening..." "I could have stopped this from happening!" "How? By never meeting me in the first place?" Yami fell silent. Maybe if he never met her, this wouldn't have happened. No...don't think like that..he was happy he had met her. They had so much in common with each other.

He climbed on top of the bed and looked at her. "I love you...," he said softly, looking right at her. He noticed one of the bandages was unraveling a little, and he wound it tighter around her arm. She looked down at her arm, and laid her hand over his. They looked up at each other. Crimson eyes met azure ones. He then laid himself in her arms, taking extra care to avoid coming in contact with any of the wounds. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him as close as she could. Yami lay there, surrounded by warmth and comfort, feeling calm, relaxed, and secure. He let Jenna know how happy he felt by snuggling a little closer to her body, then looking up at her and smiling sweetly. "Hello," he smiled. She smiled back at him. "Hello down there," she said playfully before rubbing his chest and stomach. "Hey...," he droned, sounding like he was on one of those massage chairs at the mall, "You give great massages..."

Yugi chuckled from his spot in the doorway. Jenna heard him and asked him to come in. "Well..." "It's all right. I'm not going to hurt you. You can see how much fun Yami is having. And I'm not all that bloody either. Come on in." Yugi came in further, and saw Yami in his comfortable position in the girl's lap. "Yami, you look like a king there, in your 'royal throne' ," Yugi laughed again. "Well, I was a king. Seems right." Yugi sat in one of the chairs close to the bed. "Yugi, this is Jenna. Jenna, Yugi," Yami introduced. Jenna shook Yugi's hand, then Yugi told Yami he was right: She was cute.

Yami let out a yawn. He was tired. He snuggled further into Jenna, shutting his eyes. he had had a big day. She seemed to sense this, and she gently rubbed his shoulders and neck as he began to doze. She rubbed his chest again, now spreading to his sides and stomach. She moved gently and slowly, letting him feel every last rub. His head fell to her chest, and she felt his breathing even out. He had fallen asleep.

"Hopefully he'll wake up before we have to leave...," said Yugi. "or he could stay, it's all up to you." "I guess so. My father can give you a lift back home if you need it. From the way he looks right now, he probably won't wake up until daybreak." "And he looks pretty cozy there, too," her father said, startling Yugi, who hadn't seen him come into the room. "You must be her father. I'm Yugi." "Hello Yugi. You must be Yami's brother." 'Here we go with the nrother bit again...just like old times...' "I don't think the nurses will object to him staying the night...here, come with me. I'll drive you back to the apartment building."

Yugi left with the man, but not before looking back at Yami and Jenna, still in their little cuddle position in the bed. Jenna herself had put her head back on her pillows, asleep. Her arm lay across Yami's chest, who had fallen asleep against her. Yugi chuckled when he saw one final thing.

Both of them were smiling in their sleep.

(>

Okay, done. Please R&R!


	6. Discoveries and Dreams

Hello once again! This chapter is dedicated to Amazoness Archer, a faithful reviewer who managed to get the story's reviews up this high. Thanks hon!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. So stop it.

(-----

He slowly opened his eyes. He was still in the hospital. Alone. By himself. Well, almost by himself. But there was no Yugi, no Mr. Kamakyri either. Just him and Jenna.

He opened his eyes all the way now and looked down. Jenna's arm was across his chest. He looked up. She was still asleep. He smiled. She looked so calm and peaceful while she slept, and she was very quiet. She never made a sound.

He wanted to move. He wanted to get out of his current position. He was getting a little cramped, and needed to get some blood flow into his legs. But he was afraid that if he moved just one bit, he would startle her and wake her up. And he didn't want to do that. But he had to try something. He had lost all feeling in his legs.

He moved just a bit and looked up at her again. Nothing happened. She neither woke nor stirred. 'There's a good start,' he told himself. He moved a little again. He was trying to get himself to slide right off the bed. It still didn't affect her. 'One more...' He moved that one more bit, and he was free. He slid off, and tried to walk around a bit to stretch his muscles. He gave a couple of good stretches, then left the room for some coffee. He turned back to Jenna. "I'll be right back, I promise...," he told her in a faint whisper, knowing that she couldn't hear him.

(----

As he entered the hospital atrium for his coffee, he saw a bit of a chilling sight. Off in the distance was a familiar looking woman. Even from that far away, Yami recognized her as Jenna's mother. Her face looked blotchy and her eyes were red, as if she had been crying.

'Crying about what?', wondered Yami.

It was none of his business anyway. He took his coffee and sat at one of the small tables with a newspaper. He flipped through the articles until he came across something interesting. A couple of names he recognized were in one such article: Jenna's and her mother's name. He wondered why they were there. He continued to read.

'17-year old girl was beaten in her own home yesterday, after one of the girl's friends left her house after a visit,' said the article. 'The mother was reported to have whipped her daughter out of pure rage, due to the fact that the friend was a boy and hugged her affectionately before he had left. The father reports that this isn't the first time the whippings have happened, but it's the first time they have occured because of a visit from a friend.'

'So she doesn't like me being there...,' Yami thought.

He looked up from the paper to see that Jenna's mother was watching him. He quickly buried his nose in his paper again, trying to hide his face from her view. His nose was right up against the words 'whipped her daughter'. He didn't want her to see him.

He peeked over one of the edges of the paper. She was still watching him. He quickly pulled his head back behind the paper. He didn't want to be seen. He might get into so much trouble with her. Best not to get spotted.

He finished off his coffee and started to put his paper away, looking over at Jenna's mother one last time. She was gone. 'Good riddance...,' Yami thought. He threw away the coffee cup, tucked his paper under his arm and headed back to Jenna's room.

(----

When he got there, Jenna was awake and chatting with her father. Both saw him enter and wished him good morning.

"You look a lot better than you did yesterday," Yami told Jenna. "Must have been the sleep you got last night."

"Must have been," Jenna said. "Maybe it was because you were there, and I felt safe having someone I trusted in the room."

Hearing that caused Yami to start to redden, when he felt her father's hand on his shoulder.

"She's right, after all," he told Yami. "I felt a little nervous about leaving her alone with someone I've only met once, but...now I know I can trust you. And you'll be the first person I call if anything ever comes up."

Yami smiled. "Thank you," was all he could say. Then he remembered what he saw downstairs.

"That reminds me. I saw your wife downstairs in the atrium. She looked really upset about something. What happened?"

"She is getting treatment for her 'problems'.They made her come up and apologize for the whippings.The process is very long and difficult, but I'm hoping she'll pull through and change. One of these days Jenna won't exist anymore if she keeps this up. They removed her from our home for now until she changes. And hopefully it will be for the better."

Yami agreed with him.

"And I don't want all that to happen again either," Mr. Kamakryi continued. "She either changes, or she gets removed permanently. Her choice."

A nurse came into the room. "You may go home now, young lady. The tests came back, and you're all set. Just take it easy so those wounds don't burst open again."

"All right," Jenna said softly, thankful to get out of there. She hated hospitals. There was strange air about them that she didn't like.She was so tired of ending up here after her mother had her way with her.

"If you want, I'll take you home to my apartment for a while," Yami offered. "Nothing wrong with spending a little time together."

Jenna smiled. "Nothing wrong with that at all."

"Even better idea," Mr. Kamakyri started. "Yami, you come and stay at our place. With Jenna's mother out of the way, you'll be right at home.It's the leastI can do after everything you've done for my daughter."

Yami smiled. "Only if it's okay."

"Of course it's okay. I said so."

"Okay then," said Yami, feeling like he was going home for the first time.

(-----

Jenna and Yami rode in his car, Mr. Kamakyri lead them in his own car. Yami hated driving on the expressway, though, but it was the only way there from the hospital. Expressways made him nervous.

"You're going to love being there with us," Jenna told him."I...don't know where we'd put you..."

"Where you'd put me?" He looked confused. That sounded funny.

"A bedroom. I don't know where you'd sleep. My bed holds two, and so does dad's, but...that's just wrong...and my brother and sister share a room, but there wouldn't be room for you there."

"I'll sleep with you then," Yami said. "I've done so once before, so it won't be anything new. Besides, I'd get so lonely...and cold...and scared..."

"Stop...," she said, trying to hide from a blush.

He took the next exit from there and continued to follow the little gold Mazda through the next intersection.

He followed it through the countryside until they pulled into her driveway.

"Here you are. Home sweet home. Well, for now, anyway."

He couldn't help but smile. He felt like he belonged here. He felt like this was his house, his home. He stood there and stared at the house, taking everything in. He liked the feeling he got from it all.

He felt like he was finally living out his dream.

"Are you coming inside or not," Jenna called to him from a window.

"Yes! Coming," he called, running up the steps.

(-----

Lucky boy. R&R! (btw, this isn't the end of the story. I know it sounds like it, but it's not.)


	7. The Haunting Truth

New chapter time.Thanks to all who reviewed!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

(-----

The minute Yami stepped in through Jenna's door, his life had changed. For one thing, there was more space. A lot more space. The Kamakyri's kitchen was almost as big as half of his apartment.

Another new thing was that he was surrounded by more people, each with different personalities. Joseph was very energetic and always wanted to play some sort of game. Many times Yami would go outside and shoot some hoops with him, or pass a football, or toss a Frisbee in their large backyard, complete with pool and jacuzzi. While they did that, Jenna and her father would sit in the gazebo and watch them, smiling all the while.

Jenna was almost as energetic as her brother, but not quite. She would join Yami and Joseph in their games, and would often lose if they decided to do tackle football. Then she would often lose the tickle war with Yami while he was on top of her.

Mr. Kamakyri (Brian Yami soon learned), was the comedian of the family. He loved to joke around, and loved to laugh if he saw anything funny. Like the blower war Jenna and Yami had while cleaning the leaves in the backyard, when Yami attacked Jenna with a big gust of wind from his blower. She retaliated, and the two went back and forth, chasing each other across the lawn, like a big game of tag.

It was one of the best days of his young life.

(----

That night, Yami and Jenna were in her room together, both sleeping in the same bed. Jenna was already half asleep, but Yami was wide awake. He still couldn't believe his luck.

He smiled. He loved all of this.

He rolled over and looked at Jenna. "Hey Jenna?"

A half asleep moan, like a moose call, told him she was listening.

"I just wanted to tell you thanks for doing this for me. "

Another moose moan.

"Well, I'll see you in the morning then."

No response this time. He rolled over again and fell asleep.

(-----

"Rectus femoris...biceps brachii...triceps brachii...," came from the living room. Yami peeked his head in to see Jenna studying a book.

"What are you doing?"

"Studying for my Human Phys exam..it's tomorrow."

"Want me to quiz you?"

"Okay, I guess." She put the book down and moved it away from her.

"Okay, when I do something, or point at something somewhere on me, tell me what muscle it is. Easy enough?"

"Sounds that way."

"Okay then. Here we go." He started by opening his mouth. He then made chewing motions.

"Masseter."

"Good." Now he puffed his cheeks out.

"Buccinator," she said, trying not to laugh at his weird face.

"Good." He pointed to his right breast.

"Um...pectoralis major.."

"Good." He made a fist and put it on his left breast.

"Cardiac muscle."

"Very good. Trick question too." Now he flexed his fingers.

"That's a tendon or something, not a muscle..."

"You don't know the name. Study that one." He squinted his eyes.

"Obicularis oculi."

He made a kiss face with his lips.

"Obicularis oris."

He sucked in a big breath.

"Oh...external intercostals, internal intercostals, and diaphragm."

"Very good!" He rewarded her with a hug and a ruffle of her hair. "You'll ace that test no problem. I'll quiz you again tonight if you wish."

"That's a good idea. That way it stays fresh on my mind."

"Fine with me. I don't mind."

After Mr. Kamakyri came out of the shower, he came into the room and announced the plans for the day. They were going to go to a Polish festival held at a local chruch for a while. The three youths could ride rides and play games, but he was going mostly for the kielbasa and funnel cakes. He also mentioned that there would be a dance floor, and he looked straight at Yami as he mentioned it.

Yami looked at Jenna. A carnival! That sounded fun!

"Okay with me. I'll go get dressed first."

When Yami left the room, he could hear Jenna and her father talking. They were talking about him. No, they were talking about the two of them. But it was mostly about him.

"I want you to be careful around that man, Jenna. He's committed a felony."

"He...did...? He doesn't look like the type that would do anything like that. And he never told me anything about that either."

"Well, of course not. He probably thinks that you'll tell police about it, and that's why he's getting you to fall for him now. So you won't blow his cover."

Yami didn't like what he was hearing. Just two days ago her father had said that he trusted Yami with his daughter. Now he was contradicting himself. He stayed in the hallway just a little longer.

"That's not true, dad. He's sweet and loves me very much. And he's gentle. He would never do anything to me unless he asked me first. And if I wasn't comfortable, he wouldn't do it."

'You tell him. He can trust me. What I did nearly a year ago was an accident, and self-defense.'

"Jenna, he killed someone! Don't you remember seeing that in the news? Someone broke into his house and threatened to kill him and his friends, so instead, he killed the atttacker!"

Jenna gasped. This was the first time she had heard this. "No...he didn't..."

'I did...I'm sorry...', he apologized. 'It's true. I should have told you sooner...'

"He did. It was in the papers and everything. '19-year old kills mass murderer...would have been dubbed a hero if it weren't for the fact that he killed the wanted person...was evicted from his home...'. That was what the newspaper had said that day."

"I still say give him a chance. Please. Maybe he's changed."

'I have changed. I don't hurt anyone. My heart is not black. Please, give me a chance.'

"Oh, fine. But I'm warning you. If he does one thing, just one thing that puts my family in danger, I mean it. I will have him locked up for life. I guarantee it."

"He won't dad, I promise. I'll make sure he won't."

'I won't, I won't. I promise.' He continued walking down the hallway to Jenna's room to dress himself. He shut the door, letting the room become extremely quiet. The only sounds he heard were the rustling of his clothes as he took off his nightclothes and put on his outfit for the day. He thought to himself about what he had overheard.

'I didn't want that getting out. I'm trying to put that behind me. I don't want to remember that anymore.'

He looked down at his hands. He thought he could see spots of blood on them. No. They were completely soaked in blood.

He trembled. 'No...go away...she can't see this...'

He started shaking his hands, trying to get the blood off of them(1). When he looked at them again, there wasn't a single trace of blood on them. He had imagined it.

He forced himself to take another breath to get the oxygen back in his system.

He put a clean pair of briefs on, along with socks and a pair of pants. He started putting his two belts on when he looked in Jenna's sliding mirror doors. He caught a glimpse of his reflection.

His eyes and hair looked wild. His hands were covered with blood. His knees were too. He looked as if he had been kneeling in the stuff.

His eyes looked like that of a madman; a murderer. They thirsted for blood; for death.

"NO," he suddenly screamed. "I don't look like that! That's not me!"

A knock came at the door. It carefully opened and revealed Jenna.

"Are you okay, Yami? Is everything all right? I heard you scream."

He was breathing madly, his back turned to her. Every last inch of his body was shaking. He was so full of terror. A living nightmare. That's what it all was: a living nightmare.

She carefully inched closer to him. She could sense his fear.

"Yami? You're okay, right?"

No reply. She carefully wrapped her arms around him, trying to comfort him. She felt his powerful body shaking.

"It's okay now. It's okay. Whatever was bothering you is gone now."

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. His pulse was still leaping. What was the point of all those hallucinations?

"Jenna...," he said very softly. She almost wasn't able to hear him.

"Yes...?"

He whirled around and hugged her very tightly. He was thankful that she was right there for him.

"It scared me. I saw some things and they scared me..."

She let him hug her as tight as he did, squishing her head up against his rock hard chest. She heard his heart pounding loudly. Whatever had scared him, it did a pretty good job of it.

"It's fine now. Finish getting dressed. I'll stay if you want."

"Please. Stay."

She did stay. She sat on her bed while he finished putting his belts on, then followed with his black leather shirt and dark blue jacket.

"Finished? Let's go. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Yes. I'll be fine. Let's go."

They opened her door again, and just as they were coming down the hallway Yami heard her father ask to call Joseph up.

"I'll do it," Yami offered. He opened the basement door and called out Joseph's name. He got no response.

"Joseph?"

Nothing.

"JOSEPH."

Still no answer. Jenna softly chuckled. Yami had a lot to learn about getting her brother's attention.

"Like this," she told him. She flashed the basement lights twice.

"What?"

"We're going!"

"Okay, coming!" He shut off what he was doing and headed up the stairs.

Yami gave Jenna one of those "Now you tell me?" looks. He then headed to the breezeway to get his shoes. He put them on and headed to the car.

(------

Jenna rode in the back with Yami. Joseph sat in front. Jenna had wanted to be close to Yami, just in case he had another experience like he did earlier. But Yami remained silent. He kept looking out the window, refusing to talk.

'Maybe he overheard that conversation I had with Dad...'

She reached over and laid her hand on top of his reassuringly. He looked down and saw what she did. He looked back up at her concerned face and smiled.

'It's okay now,' his smile seemed to tell her.

He took her hand tightly, holding it until they arrived at the carnival.

(-----

"There you go. 10 tickets each. Have fun, and come find me when you're ready to go."

"Okay."

Joseph tagged along with Yami and Jenna, which they didn't mind. They were going on the Ferris wheel first.

Joseph got his own car, while Jenna and Yami rode together. The operator let the couple on first. It cost 2 tickets each, but it was a large wheel, and they were going around 5 times.

"Is this going forwards, or backwards," Yami wondered.

When the ride started up, they got their answer. It went backwards. The raw air nipped at their faces as they rose higher into the air, but they didn't care. They huddled together to keep themselves warm.

Suddenly, the operator down below jerked the brake sharply, making the cars rock. Jenna hated this; she would get terrified of this if it happened.

And Yami was about to witness it firsthand.

When the car started rocking, she instinctively latched onto Yami. At first he was startled, because he wasn't expecting it.

"What's wrong?"

"Car...rocking..hate...car rocking..."

He hugged her a little tighter. "It's okay, nothing's going to happen."

He told her to look out and enjoy the view instead. They both did, and then they looked down at all the people still on the ground. They looked like ants.

Then he saw something that stopped his pulse again.

A person down there looked like Anzu.

"Oh no..."

"What?"

"Oh...um...nothing." He tried to ignore it, praying that it was just another figment of his imagination, like before.

They let the wheel keep going around before they had to get off. They were deciding which ride to go on next when he saw her again.

Anzu.

'No.' He rubbed his eyes. Maybe then she would go away.

She didn't. She was there, and she was real.

And she was headed straight for them.

(-----

Is there going to be a major problem? Or what? R&R to find out.

(1)the blood on Yami's hands was taken from the scene in macbeth when Lady Macbeth keeps washing her hands and saying "Out, damned spot." It reflects the guilt Yami has still pent up inside of him. When he can't get it off, it shows that he is unable to let go of his past.


	8. Anzu!

Time to see what happens when Anzu interferes...

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

(----

"Great. Just great," Yami muttered to himself. He knew about the restraining order Anzu had placed on him. If he got anywhere near her, he'd be in big trouble. So why was she here now? Did she learn that he had moved on? Was she trying to get him in trouble on purpose? It didn't matter: he wasn't going to let her anyway.

"Come on, Jenna. Let's go." He coaxed her along firmly but gently.

"Wait...where are we going?"

"Somewhere where there's more people around."

That was his plan: if he stayed in a major crowd, Anzu wouldn't be able to single him out. The two of them moved quickly through the fair and into a large tent in the middle of the grounds. They could hear music and voices coming from within.

"There. Go in there."

He pushed her inside the tent and followed behind her. He saw a dance floor, skill games run by the church, a polka band, and a large, restaurant-style food area. The smell of kielbasa hung heavy in the air around them. It made Yami a little hungry just smelling it. Food was not his top priority right now. Getting away from Anzu was.

"Let's see if your father is in here. If we're around him, we'll be fine."

"Fine from what? You still haven't told me what was going on!"

He sighed. This was going to happen sooner or later. "About a...year ago, I..."

"Killed someone."

"Ee...yes...and after that, I was kicked out of my old home for 'being too violent.' This girl I had a major crush on put a restraining order on me to keep me away from her. And now...she's...trying to get me."

Jenna saw the worried look on his face. "Well, don't worry. I won't let her touch you. Promise."

Yami trusted her, then glanced around for her father. He couldn't see him. But he saw the dance floor as an opportunity.

"Come on. This way." He led her onto the floor, right into the center of it. "Now, we hope she can't see us."

A slow song came on just as they arrived. People started coupling up and dancing. Yami held Jenna close and danced with her, all while keeping a watchful eye out for Anzu. He liked the way she felt in his arms. Very warm. That's how she felt: warm. As for Jenna, she loved being there in his arms. Though gentle, she could still feel their strength as they embraced her, forming a protective shield about her.

Then she remembered how powerfully they shook that morning when Yami was spooked.

She felt him suddenly tense up. "What's wrong?"

"Anzu." He uttered the name as if it was unholy.

"Let's try to shift away from her as best as we can."

They tried, but to no avail. They were stuck. But as long as they stayed in that one spot, she would have to plow her way through to get to them. They were safe, for now.

When the song ended, Jenna heard her father call to her. Jenna looked up into Yami's eyes, asking him if he'd be okay for a while without saying anything.

"I'll be fine. Go on."

She unwillingly left him behind, and for a moment, Yami did feel safe.

Until the next song started playing.

(-----

He recognized it just as it started. "Oh no..."

Locomotion.

He quickly tried to get off the dance floor, but it was too late. He was pulled into the train and sent around, with no way of getting out. And he couldn't control where he went. He was in big trouble now.

'What do I do...?'

He looked ahead and saw Anzu standing very close to the floor. 'No big deal,' he thought. 'We'll go right by her.'

The train was headed straight for her.

Fear wasn't the word Yami would have used to describe what he felt as he neared her. Whatever it was he felt, he was full of it.

'Please..no...'

To his relief, the train swung right around her and missed her completely. He sighed relief, but it wasn't long before he found himself in the same situation again. Again, they missed. Around and around they went, and Yami prayed to Ra each time. He prayed that she'd leave and stop bugging him. He prayed that the stupid song would end already. He prayed that Anzu hadn't noticed Jenna and tried to make a target out of her. He prayed that his heart would stop trying to burst a hole through his ribs every time the train went around again.

The song finally ended, to Yami's relief again, and he quickly got off the floor before the next one started up. Not watching where he was going, he crashed right into someone. As they fell to the floor with a thud, Yami quickly muttered his apologies. He opened his eyes and saw who it was.

His breath got caught in his throat.

(----

Now he was in for it. Anzu. Why did he have to crash into Anzu? Why couldn't it have been some fat guy eating kielbasa or something else? Nope, his luck made it be Anzu.

He took his time getting off of her, feeling the guilt on his shoulders weighing him down. "Anzu, I'm sorry...you have every right to file charges against me," he said in a monotone voice.

"Why would I do that," her voice asked him in that gentle tone he had always remembered.

"Because I broke the restraining order."

"No, I broke it. I'm sorry I ever put it on you in the first place."

"You mean you..."

"Yes. I got rid of it. I don't know what opened my eyes to it, but it told me I was wrong for ever putting that on you and kicking you out. Maybe it was when Yugi and the others left me, or how much I realized I missed you. I'm just so happy to see you right now."

He smiled. "And I you."

Jenna came closer, wondering why Anzu wasn't yelling her head off at him for bumping into her. Yami noticed her standing there. "Oh. Anzu, this is Jenna. Jenna, this is Anzu. It's okay now, she won't hurt you."

Jenna let Anzu shake her hand, then Anzu asked her if she and Yami could have a moment alone.

"Oh. Sure, I guess." She watched the two leave together.

(----

"I'm really glad to see you've changed, Anzu. I missed the old you."

"The old me? There never was an old me. I was just so scared after that one night that I was afraid of what you would do to everyone else. I knew I had to protect them." She smiled. "Kind of like you always were with us."

He smiled. He remembered it well. "Yugi will be pleased to hear you've changed. You know he cares about you."

Nearby, Jenna hid, just out of sight, listening in on their conversation.

"Yami, ...I have a question for you."

"Ask away."

"I...want you to do something for me."

"Yes?"

"I want you to move back in with me. I want you to come home."

Jenna couldn't believe what she just heard. Neither could Yami. He didn't know what to think; what to do now. How could he choose?

(-----

Wow, what a tough choice, huh? I wonder what he'll do now...

R&R!


	9. Separation

Will Yami go back with Anzu or not? Talk about a tough choice...let's see if he makes the right one...

is now trying to prove that she is not dead

Disclaimer: Oh yeah, Yu-Gi-Oh is all mine. Anzu's dead, and Yami's my sex toy. I love it.

And if you believed that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. rolls eyes

(----------

"I want you to come back with me," Anzu pleaded to Yami. "Please. Just like old times. Then everything will be alright again, just like it was before."

Yami didn't feel so sure. Was this another trap? After his last bout with Anzu, he wasn't sure if going back to that house with her was such a good idea. Besides, he had Jenna now. He had moved on. So why couldn't she?

"I don't know...," he said softly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He hoped Anzu got the hint he was making.

"Please? At least spend some time with me...," she begged again. Apparently she hadn't.

Yami drew in a deep breath. Knowing full well, somehow, that Jenna was nearby, he agreed to spend just a little time.

Meanwhile, Jenna heard him say, "but just for a little while," from her hiding place behind a tree. Being extra careful, she inched a little closer to the two of them. She ended up tripping over a tree branch. The sound of her falling made both Yami and Anzu jump.

Anzu resisted the urge to say "You little brat, how dare you spy on us!", and instead asked, "Are you okay?"

"Oh..yeah, I'm fine," Jenna said calmly. Yet she was able to sense the annoyed tone in Anzu's voice.

"Um...Jenna...I'm...going to stay over at Anzu's house tonight. But it's only for tonight. Is that alright with you?"

"Oh...um...sure...I guess. It's fine with me," she told him, yet at the same time she felt as if maybe that was a dumb idea after all.

"There! See? She says it's okay! So let's go," Anzu said cheerfully, trying to pull Yami along behind her. The sooner she got him away from that brat, she figured, the better.

"Slow down, already, will ya? I like my arm where it is now, thank you," Yami laughed. Maybe Anzu did change for the better. It was funny. He was actually looking forward to this.

"Bye then, Jenna," Yami said, waving with his free hand while Anzu pulled his other. Within a few minutes, they were gone.

Jenna stood there, getting the sudden feeling that letting Yami go like that was a bad idea. A really bad idea.

(----------

When Anzu unlocked the front door to the house, and let him inside, he stood there in the living room as still as a statue for at least ten minutes. Everything was just like he remembered. All the pictures were still on the walls, furniture where it used to be...all was as it was when he left it a year ago.

Only thing that confused him was why it was so darn quiet. Where was everyone else?

As if she could read his mind, Anzu supplied him with the answer. "They all moved out shortly after you did, Yami. They didn't like my decision."

"So you've been by yourself all this time?"

She nodded solemnly.

He smiled warmly. "You poor, poor thing. All by yourself."

She jumped up. "But things will be different now! It's just you and me, and no one else! We can start all over again!"

"You're right. We can fix what we've ruined."

Anzu smiled. For once, things were going her way.

(----------

"Hey, Yami...you want to help me with something," Jenna called from her room back home. She got no response.

"Yami?"

Silence.

Then she remembered...that Anzu girl had taken him for the night.

Her brother entered the room. "You need something, Sis?"

"Joe...no...no, I don't. I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes...I'm sure."

"Positive?"

Boy, did he pick the wrong time to be annoying. "Joe, I am fine. Please leave," she said as calmly as she could.

"Pos..."

"OUT."

"Phoo...," Joe groaned. "PMS."

'Actually,' Jenna thought, 'it's more like separation anxiety...'

She looked out her window up at the stars in the night sky. She sighed, wondering what Yami was up to with that girl right now.

(----------

Warm Cozy. Snug. And by himself.

Anzu had wanted him to sleep with her tonight, but she caved in and let him have his old room instead.

She was right. She had changed. And possibly for the better, too. Maybe they could still be friends, even though he was now with Jenna.

Jenna.

There's a name he hadn't thought about in a while.

But he hadn't really had to. After Anzu had cooked him his favorie meal, played a couple of games with him, and enjoyed a quiet evening in front of the fire, the last thing he thought about would have been Jenna.

But that didn't matter.

He was going home to see her tomorrow anyway.

He..._was_ going to see her, right?

(---------

And there's your update, everyone. I'm so-o-o-o sorry...but college tours, school, and work have really hogged up my time, so I haven't been able to update this much. But I'm surprised so many people have been reading it and asking me for an update..makes me feel special. Thank you for supporting me, and here's to a faster update soon!


	10. Catastrophe

Holy crap…this story LIVES!! I was surprised I STILL got reviews 3 years later, I mean really people, you're insane. But I love yas.

Disclaimer: Even though this story hasn't been touched for 3 years, I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I can't find Takahashi-san anywhere.

* * *

He smelled smoke as he slowly opened his eyes. That had to have been the most restful sleep he'd ever had in his life. But what the heck was burning?

"Anzu?" He called as he climbed out of bed. He barely opened the door before his nose was bombarded by the smell of a ruined breakfast.

"Yami…I burned….the pancakes…" she managed to cough out while fanning away the smoke.

Yami looked into the pan. "That's no pancake. That's a briquette."

"Hey." She swatted him with the dishrag she had been using to fan the smoke away. He chuckled as she cleaned up what was left of her attempt at brunch. "Looks like it's going to be cereal today…I wanted to make something special…"

"….What for?"

"Well, if you move back in…you know…"

Yami started shaking his head. "Anzu, I already told you. I'm not moving back in. I think it's great that you want to be friends again, but that's long gone now. I have Jenna. I have my own apartment. I don't think we'll have that same tight-knit group we once had. I'm sorry."

She hung her head a little. "No one seems to want to believe me when I say I've changed. I couldn't get any of the others to come back. The only one I haven't tried is Ryou."

"Anzu…"

"No, no. You have Jenna now. From what I saw, she seems nice. She'll treat you better."

Yami felt a pang of guilt. He should have known better than to let that get to him.

"Hey."

"Hey what?"

"Where's your car?"

Yami smacked his forehead with his hand and groaned. "Still at Jenna's…can we swing by and nab it?"

"Call her first, and I'll go get my car ready."

* * *

The phone rang at the Kamakyri's several times before the receiver was picked up. "Hello?"

"Jenna?" Yami asked.

"Joseph."

"Oh. Umm….is Jenna home?"

"She went to work. What's up?"

"Nothing much, I just wanted to check in with someone. I left my car there overnight and I wanted to come get it. I wanted to make sure someone was home so it didn't look weird."

"Yeah, sure, come by and do that. Will you stick around for a while? Jenna doesn't come home until noon, and there's no one else here. I'm kinda lonely."

"I….I can't. I still have a few things I need to do today. Might as well tell Jenna that too when she comes home."

"Oh. Okay. See you in a few when you get your car," the young boy said sadly before hanging up the phone.

Yami felt another twinge of guilt. He let out a sigh as he hung up Anzu's receiver.

"Did you get anyone?" she asked him.

"Yeah, Jenna's younger brother was home. He asked me to stay with him because he's lonely, but…I told him no. I just wanted to get my car."

"How old is he? Maybe it's better if we do stay for a while."

"He's 11, but he sure acts older. That's probably why Brian isn't afraid to leave him alone."

"Who?"

"Bri…I mean, Jenna's father."

"Well, then, let's get going already." Anzu took her keys from a hook hanging in the kitchen, locked the house, and guided Yami to her car.

* * *

Joseph was curled up in one of the chairs in the living room watching television when he heard the sound of a car door shutting. _'Must be Yami out there' _he guessed, but when he peered out he saw it was actually Jenna, home early from work.

He dashed into the breezeway and met her before she even got inside. "Yami's on his way over to pick up his car," he announced.

Jenna glanced back outside at the red Mazda sitting next to her gold one. She forgot Yami had gone home with Anzu the other day and had left his car behind. "Oh."

"That's the only reason he's coming by; he won't stay for a visit or anything."

"..Oh," she replied again, not changing her monotone response. She went down to her room to change out of her uniform.

A couple of minutes later he heard one car door shut and another one open. He peered out and saw Yami climb out of a blue car of some sort, get into his red car, and pull away with the blue car following behind him.

He decided not to tell Jenna what he saw. He didn't know what she would say, and he didn't want to find out either.

Even later still he heard the garage door open. Joseph knew his father never used the garage. It must be his mother. Why would she be home this early?

The door opened, and sure enough it was Mrs. Kamakyri who entered through the door. "Is Jenna home yet?"

"Ee…yeah, she came home a minute ago. Why?"

"I want to see her. I have a surprise for her."

Joseph gave her an odd look. It felt wrong to hear her say that. Yet he ignored the nagging feeling he got and headed down to the other end of the house to fetch her.

"Mom wants to see you," he told her.

"What? What's she doing home so early?"

"I don't know. She said she had a surprise for you."

Something nagged at the back of her mind. Whenever her mother said she had a surprise for her, it usually spelled disaster. She finished dressing and met her mother in the kitchen.

"You…wanted me, Mom?"

"Yes…I want to go out with you."

"Wait….what?"

"It's a nice day out there, and we haven't done anything together in so long, so I figured a day out to spend some quality time together would be a good idea."

Again with that nagging feeling, she noticed. "Well…um...what would we be doing?"

"Anything we want. Shop around, go for a ride…whatever we feel like doing."

Jenna just shrugged. "Well, all right. I don't think I had any other plans today anyway." She went back to her room to get her handbag, and then met her mother out front to get into the car.

* * *

Something didn't feel right. Yami was sure of this. He wasn't sure what was bugging him as he followed Anzu's car down the freeway back to her house. But he just had this nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that something bad was going to happen, and soon.

He almost got sideswiped by someone passing him on the right, yapping away on her cell phone. Yami growled. He hated people who just HAD to have their phone glued to their ears. He saw Anzu pull into the right lane and followed suit. Their exit was next.

* * *

The car was quiet as Jenna and her mother rode along. Too quiet. She had thought about starting up some sort of conversation, but wasn't sure what to talk about.

She watched her mother drive along, and noticed a smile plastered to her face. What was she so happy about?

Come to think of it, she never did mention where they were going, did she? There's a conversation starter.

"Mom, where are we going, anyway?"

"Nowhere," was the reply.

"Nowhere?"

"I'm going to be happy. You're going to hell."

It was then that Jenna noticed the metal barrier on the side of the road was coming closer to her side of the van, and felt the blood drain from her face.

_Yami……….!_

* * *

The loud, tinny ringing of Yami's cell phone startled Anzu from her magazine as she lounged on the couch. She debated shouting for him, but doubted he'd hear her from upstairs while he dressed. She chose instead to answer it.

"Anzu here, answering for Yami."

"Is he around? Tell him it's Brian," a man's voice said. He sounded shaky.

"Just a sec." She took the phone with her and ran up the stairs, banging on the door of Yami's room. "Phone call! It's someone named Brian…"

The door cracked open and a hand stuck out, palm up, waiting for the phone. Anzu handed it over, and the door shut again.

"Mr. Kamakyri? You never call me on my cell," Yami started, trying to worm himself into a cleaner pair of pants one-handed.

"Well….it's a bit of an emergency."

"Oh?" Yami zipped up the jeans. "What sort of emergency?"

"It's about Jenna."

Yami's breath hitched. No wonder he'd felt so weird all day. "What happened? Where is she?"

There was no answer over the phone, just silence. "Mr. Kamakyri? Where is she? Please, tell me!"

More silence, save for sniffling on the other end. Was it that bad? Yami swore he heard beeping over the phone; machines beeping. Oh, gods no…please, not that….

Heart racing loud enough to be heard on the other end of the line, Yami pressed for answers again. "Brian, please…what happened?"

After one more pause, Yami got the answer he dreaded.

"There's been an accident."

* * *

There. How's that for a revival? Thanks for sticking with this story for so long, thus making me write more for it. You peoples are so funny.

R& R, please!


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